By OKEY SAMPSON, Aba
Tragedy befell the people of Umunkita village in Nenu Autonomous Community, Obingwa Local Government Area of Abia State recently when the village head, identified as Samuel Omeonu Erengwa, committed suicide.
The body of the village head was found hanging on a tree.
Before the incident, the 70-year-old man was said to have over time been deeply involved in the planning of the traditional marriage of one of his daughters scheduled to hold on Sunday.
Erengwa was said to have discussed extensively and late into Tuesday night with one Onyebuchi who claimed to be the deceased’s nephew, on the modalities of Sunday’s traditional marriage.
Onyebuchi who spoke to some journalists said: “I am shocked over the incident; I left the deceased’s house late on Tuesday night after extensive discussions over the daughter’s traditional marriage scheduled for this Sunday, only to see him hang on the tree this (Wednesday) morning.”
There were two versions of the reason the Septuagenarian took his own life.
While the first version had it that the old man committed suicide because he could not refund an undisclosed amount of money meant for the community’s electricity project which was alleged to be in his care, the second has it that he hung himself as a result of a letter served him alleging that his son made away with some money belonging to some individuals in the community.
According to one of the villagers, “This is an abomination; we are all shocked at what has happened in the community. Nobody would say for such why a man of his age who had seen all in life should commit suicide.
“There were two versions of the story as to why the old man committed suicide. The first was that he was alleged to have embezzled money meant for the community’s electricity project, while the other version has it that the late village head was served letter alleging that one of his sons made away with some money belonging to some individuals in the community.”
When our correspondent visited the community, the family members refused to speak as they were in deep shock and dumbfounded over the incident.
Some Nenu natives who spoke to Daily Sun under the cover of anonymity described the incident as a forbidden act in the community.
When policemen visited the community later on Wednesday, they only questioned some of the family members over the incident and left without removing the dead body from the tree where it hung.
It was gathered that the police act was in line with tradition which forbids anybody from touching the dead body or removing it until some rituals were performed to appease the gods of the land.
